Historically, implantable penile prosthesis, both the inflatable type and non-inflatable type that include rigid, mechanical and malleable devices have been supplied with paired penile cylinders. Inflatable penile prostheses (IPP) typically include a pair of inflatable penile cylinders, a fluid transfer pump, a deflate mechanism, a fluid storage reservoir and flexible tubing connecting components. There are three basic categories of inflatable penile prostheses: one-piece, two-piece and three-piece IPP devices. One-piece inflatable penile prostheses are configured with an inflatable bladder, pump, deflate mechanism and reservoir wholly contained in each of the two unitary paired penile cylinders that are implanted in their entirety in the corpora cavernosa of the penis. Two-piece inflatable penile prostheses are configured with paired inflatable penile cylinders implanted in the corpora cavernosa of the penis. At least one of the other components (i.e., the fluid transfer pump, the deflate mechanism, or the fluid reservoir) is implanted outside the corpora cavernosa. Three-piece inflatable penile prostheses are configured with paired inflatable penile cylinders implanted in the corpora cavernosa of the penis. At least two of the other components (i.e., the fluid transfer pump, the deflate mechanism, or the fluid reservoir) are implanted outside the corpora cavernosa.
One-piece and two-piece inflatable penile prostheses have included a fluid storage chamber or reservoir within the cylinder component implanted in the corpus cavernosum, with the reservoir configured distal to the inflatable bladder as disclosed by Burton et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,829. The reservoir has been configured proximal to the inflatable bladder (e.g., Finney, U.S. Pat. No. 4,318,396), within inflatable bladders (e.g., Whitehead, U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,903), or surrounding the inflatable bladder (e.g., Finney, U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,360). Two-piece inflatable penile prosthesis have also been configured with a reservoir implanted outside the corpora cavernosa and supplying fluid to one or both inflatable penile cylinders (e.g., Uson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,711). Three-piece inflatable penile prostheses have been configured with a single reservoir implanted outside the corpora cavernosa and supplying fluid to both penile inflatable cylinders (e.g., Buuck, U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,102). Each of the cited patents is incorporated by reference in its entirety.